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March 5, 2008

US Official Urges Serbia to Embrace Future with Europe
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1B722E0:A6F02AD83191E160174A5E4832E5092830EB2FA2E66CBB22& Assistant
Secretary of State Daniel Fried says Serbian government faces key
decision: whether to move toward European integration or self-imposed
isolation A senior U.S. official is urging Serbia to follow a path
toward European integration rather than one that would lead toward
isolation.  Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried's comments come
as Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica again appealed to his
country's political parties to reject closer ties with the European
Union unless the bloc supports Serbia's claim to Kosovo.  VOA's
Deborah Tate reports from Capitol Hill, where Fried testified before a
Senate panel.







U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried (file)In the wake of
Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia, Assistant Secretary
of State Daniel Fried says the Serbian government faces a key
decision: whether to move toward European integration or self-imposed
isolation.

"President (Boris) Tadic firmly, consistently, has opposed Kosovo's
independence," Fried said. "He also has been a proponent of Serbia's
integration into Europe despite Kosovo's independence.  (Prime
Minister) Kostunica seems to have a different view, and I think a
policy of self-isolationism is, unfortunately, an accurate way to
describe what he is doing.  The Serbs will have to sort this out."

In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Fried said
there is a latent, but very large constituency for a European future
for Serbia within the Serbian population.  He said it will take
leadership to mobilize that constituency, and says the United States
looks forward to working with leaders who can do it.

Fried rejected arguments that independence for Kosovo sets a precedent
for other separatist conflicts.

"Kosovo's independence is the result of the break-up of Yugoslavia
into many successor nations," Fried said. "The Kosovo situation
includes many factors simply not found elsewhere."

The assistant secretary estimated that Kosovo will need some two
billion dollars of development assistance over several years from the
United States, the European Union, the World Bank and International
Monetary Fund:

"We have to help the Kosovars get modern institutions up and running. 
We have to help them create an investment climate," Fried said. "We
have to help them slowly force out corruption, which is going to be a
drain on the whole economy."

In the aftermath of last month's attacks on the Belgrade embassies of
the United States and other countries that recognized Kosovo
independence, Fried urged Serbs throughout the region to refrain from
further violence:

"Within Kosovo, we have also witnessed provocations and Serbian
incitement to violence," Fried said. "Serbs and anyone else have the
right to protest Kosovo's independence. But there is no right of
violence or intimidation.  We urge leaders throughout the region to
show responsibility." 

The chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Democratic Senator
Joe Biden of Delaware, said the international community should be
prepared to respond to any such violence in the future:

"Any attempt by Belgrade to sow chaos in northern Kosovo or Bosnia's
Republic of Serpska should be dealt with quickly and decisively by the
European Union and Nato," Biden said. "Serbia's actions should also be
a factor in the decision of foreign investors, who are considering
projects in their country."

Assistant Secretary Fried urged Russia to appeal for calm in a way
that would - in his words - be heard unambiguously by Serbia and by
the Serbs in Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina.